earl grey sponge cake

If I bake something I really like, I cannot stop eating it. Very dangerous.

If I bake something I don’t like, well, it is a waste of my time. *GAH*

And recently I have been *just a bit* mad about sponge cakes. Okay my nose just grew a tad longer. I am just totally mad about sponge cakes!

Sponge cakes are like chiffon cakes – another very dangerous bake – in the sense that the cake is just so freaking soft!! Apart from the actual baking methods which obviously differ as one requires a water bath while the other does not, the method used to make the batter is very similar.

Today, I made an Earl Grey Sponge Cake, much to the detriment of my waistline, which already is pretty much non-existent. It was so yummy, I have to make myself give the rest of the cake away so I won’t be a piggy and eat it all.

Yeah, I loved it a lot.

So saying that, I am eating another slice. The remaining cake AFTER this slice can be given away. 🙂

If you want to bake this super soft cake, here are the instructions on how to do so.

Before you start, steep Earl Grey tea in boiling water and allow it to cool completely before using. Loose tea leaves will give the best results (remember to strain the tea leaves before adding this to the batter) but tea bags will do the trick too if that is all you have.

In the bowl of a mixer, mix together egg yolks and vegetable oil until combined. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

To this, add the cooled tea and vanilla extract.

Once this is mixed, fold in the dry ingredients (flour + salt). Set this aside.

In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites. When the mixture is foamy, add the cream of tartar.

Once this has reached soft peaks, gradually add the sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

Transfer 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter. Beat it in.

Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two batches until no streaks of the yolk batter can be seen.

Pour this into a lined 8-inch (by 3-inch) round baking pan.

Bake in a water bath at 155°C for 70-75 minutes or until an inserted skewer emerges cleanly.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and wait until the sides of the cake have pulled away from the tin before removing it from the pan. Remove the paper lining and invert it onto a wire rack.

If the cake is still wet, place the cake in the oven (without turning it on) and use the remaining dry heat to dry the cake out a bit more.

Sponge cakes are great – if you are thinking of trying out something new this week, why not give this a shot?

Before you start, steep Earl Grey tea in boiling water and allow it to cool completely before using. Loose tea leaves will give the best results (remember to strain the tea leaves before adding this to the batter) but tea bags will do the trick too if that is all you have.

In the bowl of a mixer, mix together egg yolks and vegetable oil until combined. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

To this, add the cooled tea and vanilla extract..

Once this is mixed, fold in the dry ingredients (flour + salt). Set this aside.

In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites. When the mixture is foamy, add the cream of tartar.

Once this has reached soft peaks, gradually add the sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

Transfer 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter. Beat it in.

Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two batches until no streaks of the yolk batter can be seen.

Pour this into a lined 8-inch (by 3-inch) round baking pan.

Bake in a water bath at 155°C for 70-75 minutes or until an inserted skewer emerges cleanly.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and wait until the sides of the cake have pulled away from the tin before removing it from the pan. Remove the paper lining and invert it onto a wire rack.

If the cake is still wet, place the cake in the oven (without turning it on) and use the remaining dry heat to dry the cake out a bit more.

I made this cake and the top part dried and cracked after 50 min at 155 deg Celcius (need to buy oven thermometer soon!).

The one problem I don’t get is that the bottom layer was RUBBERY and darker compared to the pale color in the middle. But the middle cake is normal and had the right sponge texture. Any ideas as to what is causing this??